Tuesday, April 8, 2014

An Opening: Oxford NRSV w/ Apocrypha Compact Genuine Leather

I love this compact!  I really do!  It just may be my favorite.  It came out among the first offerings of the NRSV by Oxford.  It is officially known as the New Revised Standard Bible, Pocket Edition, No 9614A, Black With Apocrypha.  The leather is indeed genuine leather.  It has a nice soft feel.  It is not as soft and supple as Oxford's NOAB NRSV 4th Edition, but it has a real nice feel to it. I purchased this edition from a helpful used bookstore.  As you will see, it came in its original box, wrapped in paper, and was accompanied by an old-school pamphlet about caring for your Bible.  The print is darker than some of the later compact editions of the NRSV.  The pages correspond to all other NRSV edition published by Oxford at that time.  In addition, it comes with 5 color New Oxford Maps.  There is also a nice presentation page.






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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 8, 2014 at 3:26 AM

    Tim,

    The one on Oxford's website looks a little different on the spine, do you know if it's the same one? Is it the anglicized edition?

    Michael P.

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    Replies
    1. TimothyApril 8, 2014 at 3:48 AM

      Michael,

      This is not the Anglicised edition. This one is also out of print.

      Delete
  2. UnknownApril 8, 2014 at 9:28 AM

    Ok Tim... How do you go from your Cambridge full-size with cross references to this little guy being your favorite?!?! lol!

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  3. TheophrastusApril 8, 2014 at 10:17 AM

    I have this edition and can affirm that it is a wonderful compact edition.

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  4. AnonymousApril 9, 2014 at 3:35 AM

    Tim,

    Do you know how this one is different from, or compares to, the current one being sold by Oxford?

    Michael P.

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    Replies
    1. TimothyApril 9, 2014 at 3:40 AM

      Michael,

      I use to have a copy to compare with, but not any longer. However, besides the genuine leather cover and full color maps, I do remember that this edition has a darker print and matches page by page with the larger NRSV's published by Oxford back in 1989/90. It also includes a table of weights/measurements and a list of rulers from the davidic dynasty through Rome.

      Delete
  5. Jason EngelApril 9, 2014 at 9:12 AM

    The biggest difference between this '90 edition and the currently available '06 edition is the darkness of the printed text. The current edition is so faint as to be almost useless. This '90 edition Timothy is sharing with us is wonderfully dark and legible in comparison. The leather on the current edition is thicker, softer, more flexible, though I'm not sure how much of that is due to age vs. material, but that doesn't help much with legibility.

    Oxford also produced a compact edition in '98, but used the Anglicized text for that one.

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  6. LeightonApril 10, 2014 at 7:56 AM

    Tim, I recently rediscovered my edition of this one, and really think the quality is exceptional, too. It has a very supple black genuine leather cover. Mine is just like yours, except that the page numbers are on the bottom of the page, not the top, and the box is the same except it does not have the type on the bottom about the parallel page numbering. It shows 1989 as the publication date, with no later reprint date, though I bought it in the mid nineties new. I own a Cambridge NRSV with center column references, like yours, but with calfskin leather, and that is a prize, and it is hard to know which I enjoy more between the two. Some of the inclusive language translation choices drives me a bit batty, but the NRSV is a beautiful translation to read... among the best. I enjoy your blog and am comforted to know that I am not the only person OCD about Bibles.

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  7. owenswainApril 15, 2014 at 9:47 AM

    My daily compact is now the red leather/pocket/slip-case/smith sewn/gilt edging New Jerusalem Bible with surprisingly readable small text; psalms and proverbs and Wisdom books set in single column which a lovely feature to distinguish these books from the regular two column setting. It fits in hand like a gem and rest nearly flat open even at either end of the book after my usual careful initial opening of a bible in the manner treated in the little booklet that you show above, Timothy, with your new bible.

    I appreciate the British spelling as standard and the proper [Catholic] order of the books which, I do admit the absence of is one of the reasons the Cambridge NRSV with "Apocrypha" never took for me, as lovely as the format and cross reference system is in that edition.

    Seems I am transitioning to the NJB as my go-to using the edition mention here along with a cloth-hardback "Regular" edition, namely the edition with the massive notes, book introductions and cross referencing and single column text throughout. - not the kind of thing to carry about in my messenger bag though!

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  8. AnonymousNovember 23, 2014 at 10:10 PM

    Hi Tim,

    Thank you for sharing the details of your Oxford NRSV. I own a 2006 version and I am very happy with it. I was wondering if you'd be interested in selling the copy you have listed here? If not, do you know of anyone who has a 1990s version they would be interested in selling? Let me know and I can provide my contact info.

    Thank you and God bless!
    Michael

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